This website is dedicated to all the men and women of Class 1980 of
the University of Santo Tomas High School. This site showcases the fun and
nostalgia of the best batch USTHS has ever
produced.

Merry
Christmas, Batchmates!

Christmas Party 2007

Once More, With Feelings

SANGKALAN, QC, November 24, 2007. Sangkalan 2001 was a first, and it
was a memorable first. Two decades after high school, and in
preparation for its silver jubilee, members found valid reason
to come and check out one another. This 2001 event signaled the
start of a continuing chain of reunions that will see members of
this class- party, reacquaint, work, and grow together. And
what growth we have had! Thus, this Sangkalan 2007, is a
sentimental visit…to that place that saw us birthed, where many
of us first gathered, and where this compelling desire to
assemble this group and make it relevant to its members was
conceived. Six years after, we came back to say – once more,
with feeling!

That Saturday night, a supertyphoon threatened to rain on our
show but it could not dampen the expected downpour of members
for our annual Christmas parade. Confidently the organizers
prayed for and expected fair weather, good food and a good turn
out. If there were misgivings, it quickly vanished soon as
batchmates started piling in. In fact, clear starry night
outside was matched by the growing firmament in that dimly-lit
room.

The sparkle of the night was no longer of the honeymoon quality;
moonshines have long been dispelled as we have been playing and
working alongside each other all these six years. We have seen
each other’s glummer side and have exposed ours too. Less
romantic and more realistic, we have grown quite comfortable
with each other. We have made this USTHS80 AAI our second home
where we can let it all hang. In a nutshell – it was one
rousing success! Was it because of the free booze? No.
Although free, people drank and paid up. Where last year we had
a deficit, this time we had a surplus! No, it was not the
booze. It was of a better spirit.

It was a night of boisterous singing and dancing and most
everyone with a song and a skip in their hearts sang and
danced. It was FUN, that night, we were one. The impromptu
program sent everyone to their feet either to sing, dance, or
simply to table-hop.
There were snafus but the improvised games
held, the batch t-shirts distributed, the magician’s tricks
transfixed and entertained and the singing continued till the
early morn. There was this all prevailing drone; a cacophony of
happy sounds. Food was plentiful, satisfying and generous. As
in everything that night! We were generous in our pleasure and
generous in our giving, and where there is giving there sure is
loving.

When the President stood to deliver her annual report, the
entire body cheered for a year well served. For the health of
the whole is the health of the parts. We reviewed our gains,
acknowledged the valuable contributions of many and confidently
look forward to the coming year. Unshakeable we seemed that
night. And are we as a group, unshakeable? For as long as we
know our purpose and the methods with which to achieve it, for
as long as we hold on to our sense of proportion, valuing this
group and fitting it correctly into our priorities, for as long
as we endeavor to learn to put others before us – yes, we can be
more than that!

As opening, I just want to
send thanks to Robert who hosted the mini-reunion ... we all had
a great time, great food, not to mention a great place. Robert
indeed is the host who thought of nothing short, making sure we
all had the best time -- from the music entertainment (complete
with piano, projector, karaoke and concert DVDs) and the
accommodation!

Great comedic timing from Rommel & Dennis! What a tandem! What
can i say? It was one of the best time ever I had in a
longgggggggg time. Got home tonight and still humming all the
songs we did while Iris played the piano. As entertainment,
Elmer sang songs while Iris played the piano! They looked so
good together, Rommel came up with an idea of putting a
fund-raising event with this two together -- o say, niyo?

We all got together as it didn't matter which section we belong
to or which barkada, my feelings were parang di lumipas ang 27
years. As Iris said 31 yrs technically because most of us didn't
really hang out in highschool for 4 years. Amazing the
connection we all had. Starting from Robert who made sure that
we all had the best time ever...and Dennis who was always
willing to take us in and out of Virginia to DC pati na rin si
Kiko (hubby ni Luchie) grilled the chicken inasal while Gina (Rommel's
wife) all of a sudden became the official photographer. Joey
Estanislao came with a fully equipped camera and took lots of
pics. Galing din kumanta ni Joey. You should hear all of them
sing, pang showbiz ang dating! Not to mention Rommel, Elmer and
Joey are such good dancers.

We all felt we belong to one family. We all felt that it was the
greatest thing this yahoo group did to us, connecting each and
everyone of us and making mini-reunions like this happen! It's
just amazing that we all have one goal -- to have fun and make
sure that our weekend out will all be worth it

It was indeed one of my best time ever, it was indeed all worth
it for me!

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Congratulations to our batchmate JOBET MORALES for being one of
The Outstanding Thomasian Alumni (TOTAL) Awardees for 2007. Awarding
ceremony was held on August 18, 2007 at the UST Central
Seminary 6PM.